Bench vise



April 19, 1938. H. OLSEN 2,114,637

BENCH VISE Filed Aug. 18, 1937 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 19, 1938 2,114,637

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFIQE BENCH VISE Hans Olsen, Everett, Wash.Application August 18, 1937, Serial No. 159,696 4 Claims. (01. 81-33)This invention relates to vises, and particularly tions on the benchwhile the motor power may be to vises with a movable jaw, operated bothmanuapplied in all such various positions of the vise.

ally and by motor power. With these and other objects to be hereinafterIn the use of bench Vises, much delay is freshown, I have illustrativelyexemplified my inquently occasioned by the ordinary slow method ventionby the accompanying drawing, of which: 5

of manually revolving a power screw for opening Figure 1 represents aside elevation of the vise and closing the movable jaw. Attempts havebeen mostly in section. made to operate such screws by motor power, butFigure 2 is an end view reduced in size, partly in such attempts, thealternate use of hand in section, taken on meandering line 2-2 of powerhas been prevented by the rigid connection Figure 1, showing the powermeans. 10 between the screw and jaw, which has been neces- Figure 3 is atop plan of parts of the vise, taken sary to prevent the screw turningwithin the jaw on meandering line 3-3 of Figure 1, partly in when powerwas applied for turning a nut theresection and reduced in size. on foroperating the screw. Attempts to use Figure i is a perspective view of aform of motor power, have usually failed to bind the jaws spring washerfor the spindle and screw, enlarged. 5 together suificiently to holdarticles between the Like numerals and characters on the different sameagainst the ordinary strains from work figures represent like parts.thereon. In cases where the jaws have been sufii- Numeral 5, representsthe fixed jaw on a frame ciently bound together to hold the articles tobe 5 and flange 6, which is mounted on any suitable worked upon, thenthe resistance against opening work bench i. 8 represents the loose ortravel- 0 the jaws, has been too great to be overcome by ling jaw, whichis supported on a horizontal recpower means properly applied forclamping the tangular tenon or arm 9, which is slidably disjawstogether. posed in a slot or mortice in through the frame In the use ofa hand lever for operating the of the fixed jaw. jaws, it is usual toturn the power screw within An actuating screw H is rotatably mounted ,2

a fixed nut threaded thereover. In the use of a through the base O thetravenihg l and p motor power it has been usual to aflix the screwtrudes through a tubular passageway l2, of the rigidly to the movablejaw and to turn a nut over arm, which is open at the bottom. A shoulderthe thread of the screw of the travelling jaw. abutment l3, on the screwoutside the jaw 8 and 0 Unless the screw is retarded from easy operationa resilient abutment or washer l4, around the in the jaw, the screw willrevolve with the nut screw and bearing on che k of t e jaw to when motorpower is applied, and unless the nut move the jaw 8 to 0 frOm e fi d laws the is restrained when hand power is used, then the screw is turned byhand lever I6. An elongated nut turns with the screw. In either case thejaw D nut H is e d v the Sc ew i and is not moved. It is therefore anobject of this ot tably ou through a p which s invention, to provide forboth motor power and p oj ct d p into the passageway and Supported handpower, and to provide retarding means to on a shoulder IQ of the frame.The turning of prevent the nut from turning when the hand nut ll, uponthe Screw, the turning of the power is applied to the screw, and toprovide rescrew within the nut, forces the jaw 8 to or from 0 tardingmeans to prevent the screw from turning law 5 respectively. 40 when thenut is revolved by motor power. Projected downward from and preferablyinte- It is a further object of the invention to progral W the p iS atubular leg Which y vide both motor power means for driving the bepositioned thmllgh y S e o e as 2 in screw for rapidly opening andclosing the loose the bench, a pivotally maintains the V s On jaw of thedevice, and also to provide means for the bench. The leg is tubular, andprovides a '45 hand operation of the screw for tightening the journalbearing for an operative spindle 26, rojaws rigidly against an objectbetween the same, tatably mou e thfilethrollg e nut ll carand forloosening the jaws from such article, and r es a rearexte and a Centralenlarged for using the motor power when the jaw has been collar withbevelled gear teeth 23 on the outer.

so so released. A still further object is to provide a edge, and a flatopposite face 24, which bears 5 tubular leg projection beneath the fixedjaw, for against the rear side of the post l8, for a fulcrum guiding aspindle for rotating the screw nut, and for drawing the jaw 8 inward. Atoothed pinion also adapted for a swivel connection to the bench, 25 isattached on the top end of the spindle as by for the rotation of thevise thereon, together a screw h, and the base I of the pinion, isrotatwith means for holding the vise in various posiably mounted on thetop of the leg member. 5'

The spindle 26, is extended below the leg, for any desired distance andcarries pulley 21, on the end thereof. This pulley is turned in eitherdesired direction by a belt 28, driven by any ordinary reversibleelectric motor indicated as 29, with an operating pulley 30. A resilientmember or spring washer or abutment 3|, is slidably mounted around thespindle beneath the leg, and retained in position against the same byordinary jamb nuts 32. The nuts 32 are adjusted against the washer 3|with suflicient pressure to cause the washer to resiliently bind againstthe leg and to retard the spindle and pinion from turning, sufiicientlyto prevent the nut I! from revolving when the power screw i I, isrevolved by the hand lever 16; but to yet permit the spindle to berotated without undue resistance when the belt is rotated by the motorfor operating the nut H.

In similar manner the resilient washer I 4 mounted around the powerscrewadjacent to cheek I4, is adjustably tightened by'jamb nuts 15, toprevent the screw II from turning when the power nut is revolved by themotor, but is so adjusted that the screw may be manually operated by thelever it. Thus the operator may select either method of moving the jawS, and may preferably use the motor for rapidly moving the jaw forconsiderable distances, to close the jaws, and then use the lever forsufi'iciently clamping any article between the jaws for work thereon.When the jaws are to be opened, they may be loosened by hand, and thenopened by the motor. A stop pin 35 is provided across the rear end ofthe tenon, which prevents the jaw 3, from being carried outward todisengage the screw H from the nut I! after the pin strikes against thebar 33. The spring members I4 and 3|, are similar, as shown enlarged inFig. 4, and are provided with resilient lips a, alternately with notchesb, and are slidably and rotatably positioned by means of the central eyec; over the spindle or screw respectively.

The leg 29, through the hole in the branch, permits the vise to be swungin various lateral positions, which are frequently required by work menfor various kinds of work and materials, as indicated by dotted lines inFig. 3. Meanwhile the perpendicular position remains unchanged, and socontinues the spindle in alinement for operation by the motor in allsuch various positions of the vise. The flange 5, is provided with anysuitable number of holes therein as 37 for pins 38, which may be droppeddown into suitable registering holes 38 in the bench, to prevent lateralmovement of the flange. On the lower portion of the leg is preferablymounted a hand wheel nut 49, over inner, and outside threads 4|, and t2,respectively whereby the vise may be rigidly clamped upon the bench bythe tightening of the wheel nut 40.

In order to revolve the spindle in either desired direction for openingor closing the jaw 8, a double ended leverAS is mounted centrally overan ordinary double acting electric switch (not shown) in a housing M.Springs 45 beneath the opposite ends of the lever retain the samenormally level, and the switch neutral. Ordinary electric wires for thereverse currents, are carried from the motor to the switch by a cableii). This switch and lever 43 may be positioned as indicated on thefloor at any desired distance from the motor for operation by the feetof the user, 01' they may be attached above or beneath the bench forhand control. In either case, the operator may use the motor for anyportion of the movements of the jaw 8, by pressure on respective end ofthe lever desired to rotate thespindle in the desired direction. Onrelease of the pressure, the springs 45 throw the lever and. switch intoneutral position, and the spindle is immediately stopped by resistancefrom resilient member 3!.

A bar 33 is seated in the rear edge of the leg and attached as by screw34. The top of the bar is projected up and behind the rear exten sion22, of the nut 11, .and serves as a position bearing therefor. A setscrew 35 provides suitable tension against the rear portion of the barto maintain the nut in position.

In use the vise is mounted upon any suitable bench or platform, with theleg and spindle extended beneath the same for operative connection withthe motor, as described. In practice it is generally advisable to usethe hand lever l6 for turning the screw H, to finally tighten the jawsupon any article to be held between the same; and when the jaws are tobe loosened from such article, it is generally necessary to use the handlever therefor. After the jaws have been loosened and it is desired toseparate or open the jaws a considerable space apart, or when it isdesired to bring the same together when widely separated, then the motoris preferably applied. Thus the nut is rapidly turned over the screw andthe loose jaw rapidly moved to or from the fixed jaw, without loss oftime. The resilient member l4 provides sufiicient friction to preventthe screw from turning when the nut is operated by the motor; and theresilient member 3! provides sufiicient friction to prevent the spin- Idie 25, the pinion thereon 25, and the said nut from turning when thescrew is operated by the hand lever I6. 7

By the use of this vise and its means of operation, the operator mayquickly, and without changing his position before the same, have theadvantages of slow hand power for severe tension, and also have the useof the motor drive for rapid movement of the loose jaw.

Having described my invention I claim as new:

1. A vise for cooperative motor and hand power comprising a fixed jaw ona frame, a loose jaw with a tubular arm slidably mounted through saidframe, a power screw rotatably disposed through said loose arm, powernut rotatably mounted through the post, a tubular leg projected downwardfrom the post for pivotally maintaining the vise on a bench and for aguide for a spindle, a driving spindle rotatably mounted through theleg, a collar i around the power nut a pinion affixed to the with gearteeth thereon, top of the spindle with teeth in mesh with the gear forrotating said power nut over said screw for moving said loose jaw, apulley on the lower end of said spindle and motor power means fordriving the pulley in alternate directions for rapidly operating thespindle and loose jaw, and means for reversing the motor, resilientmeans carried on the screw for restraining the screw from turning whensaid nut is rotated thereon, and resilient means on the spindle forrestraining such spindle and said nut from turning when said screw isrotated in the nut with means for manually turning the screw slowly forclamping and loosening said jaw.

2. A vise for hand and motor power use, comprising, a fixed jaw and aloose jaw, a screw for operating said loose jaw, a power nut rotatablymounted on said screw and adapted to be turned thereon for moving saidscrew and loose jaw latjaw, a post mounted in the erally, resilientmeans mounted on said screw to restrain the movement thereofsufliciently for the turning of said nut thereon, a spindle and a gearfor rotating said nut rapidly by motor power, resilient means carried onsaid spindle to restrain the movement of said spindle and nutsufficiently for the turning of the screw within said nut foralternately moving said loose jaw slowly by hand power for accurateadjustment of the jaws together, and for separating the same, with meansfor separately turning said screw and said nut.

3. A vise with a fixed jaw on a frame and a movable jaw on a tubular armslidably mounted through said frame, a power screw rotatably connectedthrough said movable jaw and projected through said arm, a power nutrotatably mounted within said arm but independently thereof and in meshwith the screw for rotation thereon, a tubular leg extended downwardfrom said frame for pivotal connection with the bench and to permit thevise to be swung in various directions along with said leg and forjournal bearing for a driving spindle mounted therethrough, gear teetharound the power nut, a driving pinion on the top of said spindle withteeth thereon in mesh with said gear, for rotating said nut, a pulleyattached to the lower end of said spindle for continuous rotation of thesame, while the position of the vise about the pivot may vary, withmeans for rotating said nut for propelling said movable jaw toward andaway from said fixed jaw thereby, and means for reversing the directionof travel of said pulley together with resilient means for locking thescrew when the power operated means is being used, and means for lockingsaid nut when said screw is being used. 4. A vise with parts describedin the foregoing claim 3 and provided with a shoulder on the top of saidleg, extended over said frame, a thread around the lower portion of saidleg, a hand wheel nut in mesh with said thread and adapted to bind saidvise frame rigidly upon a bench in various positions in relation to saidleg.

HANS OLSEN.

